Lever operated tire loosening device



Nov. 22, 1949 l. N. HEWITT LEVER OPERATED TIRE LOOSENING DEVICE Filed Oct. 13, 1945 II IY INVENTOR. Iz/AN N. HEWITT BY ATTO RNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1949 a UNITED OFFICE LEVER OPERATEDTIRE'LOOSEN'ING'DEVIGE .Ivan N..He.witt,Medicine.Lodge, Kans, Application octoberiii, 1945, Serial"No.622,1'52

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements-lin vtire stools and has reference more .particularlyzto a hand operated tool for loosening tire casings from rims.

Tire casings thatrare used in connection with trucks and other :automobiles exposed .to the weather, frequently become .rusted.fast to the rims to such an extentthat they areivery-zdifficult :toloosen for removal and this is more particularlytrue with trucktires thatv are .very-stifisand heavy.

his the object of this invention to produce a simple, substantial and effective tire tool that can be employed with either rims or with removable wheels and which shall .be of such-construction that great force can be exertedzthereby for loosening tires from the rims.

Another objectof this invention Iisto -produce a tire removing tool of sucha:construction that a hammer can be used in addition to Itheordinary pressure for the purpose of loosening: the tire casings by impact. blows wherever .theyacannot "be otherwise conveniently loosened.

Afurther object of the invention is to: produce a tire removing tool that can be ,usedimcombination with a supporting base like that shown in my copending application Serial No. 596,043, filed May 26, 1945, issued-December 7, 1948, as Patent No. 2,455,580.

A further object of the invention isito- -produce a manually operated tire tool in which the pressure exerting memberis formed-in the shape of a curved wedge of such construction that rwhen "force is applied, it tends to move inwardly "be- "tween the flange of the tire rim and the atire casing.

The above and other objects that may rbecome apparent as the description proceeds are-attained .by meansof a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail, and for this purposereference willbe had to the accompanying drawing in which. the invention rhas been illustrated in its preferredform, 'and in Figure 4 l is a-section taken on line :4, Figure 1;

Figure 5-is: aitop planview looking downwardly in the direction of arrows 5-5, Figure Leone :portion being shown in section;

Figure 6 is atside elevation of the tool .shown 'in F-igure 5; and

Figure 7 is across section. taken on line 'l'.'|, Figure 6.

ln the drawing reference .numeral l .desigmates lcylindrical ..hub forming ..part .of :.the etire i rim supporting frame. Thishublhaslshortspokes H extending .radially therefrom .andeconnected ithere-with .by. means. of gusset stays l2. A tubuularrcylindrical member l3lextends upwardly. from :i-the hub. Rectangular. spokes l.4;extend.radially *efrom. the :hub and have their inner .ends.inserted linto etheshort spokes H. Slidably connected with the spokes M are tubular members L from which rectangularebars lfiextendupwardly, terlminating .in short arcuate supports IJ. BoltslB .aa-repadjustably .connected with -the ends: .of the ;.spokes .so as to effect adjustment with ;any-. unaeventsupporting surface. Gusset plates l9 .are ;provided for strength.

;Suppor.ted on the frame that hasajust :been edescribedisra tirerim 2,0. This maybe .of any usual make, either .ofthe cross section showniin "the drawing .or of the .drop;,center type or ot the utype having a removable attaching ring-which gisufrequently employed in connection with1heavy :ttruck tires. Secured in the upper end'ofrtubular member l3is a cylindrical plug 2| that is proixvided with an-opening 22 for the reception of safastening pin 23. securedftotheupperendwof plllg.2l.is a flat link 24 that is held in iplacelby :meanszof the cap screw 25. Link :24 is provided :with ranopening 26 .for a purpose which will :hereinafter appear.

The tire tool that forms the subject of this -invention consists :of .a wedge-shaped member :21 that .has its lower r end curved ;to one side Tas vindicated by reference numeral .28. A handle :29 ,is welded to the convex side .of .the wedge :neartthenlargeupper end thereof. The wedge has a U-shaped cross section somewhat as shown in Figure 7 so as to reduce the amount of material employed in its construction. The lower end of the wedge is shaped as shown in Figure 6, terminating in an inclined surface 30. Attached to the handle and the wedge are two steel bars 3| and Iila. These may be welded in position or secured to the wedge and to the handle by means of bolts 32. The ends of the bars are bent inwardly terminating in fiat end 55 portions 33 that are perforated for the reception of a bolt 23. A link having a flattened portion 35 and a round portion 36 that terminates in a hook 37, has its flat portion positioned between the flat ends 33 and pivotally connected with the bars by means of pivot bolt 34. Hook 3'! is inserted into opening 26 as shown in Figures 1 and 4 after which the tip of the wedge is positioned in the groove between the rim flange and the tire casing. Pressure can now be exerted on the handle tending to move the same in the direction of arrow P in Figure 1. The leverage obtained by the construction shown multiplies the force exerted and the relationship of the parts is such that the resultant force is directed inwardly and downwardly in the direction of arrow F in Figure 6. This force resultant tends to force the wedge in between the rim flange and the casing and is usually efiective to loosen the tire casing from the rim. In case the casing is rusted fast the operator can employ a heavy hammer or sledge to strike the upper end of the wedge, thereby adding to the force P an impact force that is highly effective for the purpose of loosening the tire. After one section of the tire has been loosened, the tool is moved angularly to another position and in this way the entire 360 degrees can be loosened. The flat portion 35 is provided with a plurality of opemngs for adjusting the tool to different sized tires and tire rims and also for the purpose of controlling the direction of the resultant force F. Link 24 is secured to plug 21 in such a way that it can turn about bolt 25 as a pivot. In Figure 2, the tool has been shown applied to a removable wheel of the type having an integral rim. The flange part of the wheel has been designated by reference numeral 28 and this is provided with an opening 39. Hook 31 engages the wall of the opening as shown. In the drawing a hook 40 has been shown as secured to the floor by means of a bolt 4|. This is convenient where there is merely a single operator, as hook 40 prevents the wheel from tilting when force is applied to the handle. Where such a hook is not used, it is necessary for the operator to hold the tire down with one foot or have some one standing on the tire to prevent it from tilting.

In Figure 3, the tire tool has been shown as connected with the removable rim that rests on the floor, since such rims have no convenient place to anchor the hook 31 a straight bar 42 has been provided for this purpose. This bar is positioned underneath the tire casing and rim and has one side provided with a loop 43 and several links 44. Hook 3'! is engaged in one of the links and the tool adjusted with respect to the tire and rim as shown. Hook 40 may be provided, if desired, or some other equivalent means used to keep the tire and rim from tilting.

Particular attention is directed to the construction of this tool in which the upper end of the wedge is accessible and conveniently located for the reception of hammer blows. It is well known that impulse forces are more effective for 4 loosening a tire casing than a steady pressure, and by means of this construction, the impulse forces can be effectively applied to any part of the tire and rim desired.

Attention is again directed to the arrangement of links and pivots shown in Figure 1 and also in Figures 2 and 3. This linkage results in a downward and inward force which produces a resultant incline somewhat as indicated by arrow F in Figure 6.

Attention is directed in particular to the fact that wedge member 21 is rigidly connected with "the handle 29.

It is evident that if wedge 21 were pivoted for rocking movement about an axis parallel to pivot 3|, it would produce an unstable structure very difiicult to apply and to use, as handle 29 could then move longitudinally. By the rigid construction shown, handle 29 and wedge 21 can be used to pry a tire loose in a manner not possible if 27 were pivoted to the handle.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A tool for loosening a vehicle tire from a rim, comprising, a forwardly curved wedge having an integral rectangular upstanding shank, a pair of parallel arms rigidly secured to the shank near its upper end, one on each side thereof and extending transversely thereto both forwardly and rearwardly, a handle fixedly secured to the rearwardly extending portions of the arms therebetween and to the shank, whereby the arms, shank, and handle, are fixedly secured together, a link disposed between the arms at the forward ends thereof and having a hook at its lower end, the link having a plurality of holes therein to vary the distance of the hook from the arms, and means extending through one of the holes and the arms pivotally securing the link thereto, the upper end of the shank extending above the arms and having a sufficient area at its top to receive an impact from a hammer or the like.

2. A tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shank is U-shaped in cross section between the wedge and parallel arms.

IVAN N. HEWITT.

invention, what is REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,199,344 Campbell Sept. 26, 1916 2,148,111 Dennis Feb. 21, 1939 2,241,886 Pearce May 13, 1941 2,294,271 Bethard Aug. 21, 1942 2,391,626 Howard Dec. 25, 1945 2,399,146 Schumann Apr. 23, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 817,844 France Sept. 11, 1937 

